Remote Control

You can take a Claude Code session started on your computer and continue it right from your phone or tablet. Code still executes on your local machine — mobile acts purely as a "remote control" for that session.

How It Works

[Local PC]                    [Anthropic relay]              [Mobile/browser]
  Claude Code  ──HTTPS──▶  api.anthropic.com  ◀──HTTPS──  claude.ai/code
  (runs code)              (relays messages)               (input/display)

Key points:

• Local execution: Files, MCP servers, SSH keys, and project settings all stay on your computer
• Outbound only: No inbound ports are opened (no VPN or port forwarding needed)
• TLS encryption: All communication is protected over HTTPS/TLS
• Auto-reconnect: The session survives your laptop sleeping and waking

How to Use It

Option 1: Start a New Session

# Start a session dedicated to Remote Control
claude remote-control

# Give the session a name
claude remote-control --name "payments-module-refactor"
# Or as a positional argument
claude remote-control "payments-module-refactor"

The terminal displays a session URL and a QR code (toggle with the spacebar).

# Show verbose logs
claude remote-control --verbose

# Sandbox mode (filesystem/network isolation)
claude remote-control --sandbox

Option 2: Switch from an Existing Session

If you're already using Claude Code:

> /remote-control
# Or the short form
> /rc
# Or the mobile-optimized version
> /mobile

Remote Control activates with your existing conversation history intact. /mobile displays a QR code for downloading the Claude mobile app.

Naming your session

Passing a name as an argument, like /rc payments-module-refactor, makes the session easier to find in the claude.ai/code session list. You can also name it ahead of time with /rename.

Option 3: Enable Automatically for All Sessions

> /config
# → "Enable Remote Control for all sessions" → true

Connecting from Mobile

1. Scan the QR code: Point your phone camera at the QR code in the terminal
2. Open the URL directly: Open the displayed session URL in a browser
3. Claude app: Check the session list at claude.ai/code or in the Claude mobile app (green dot = online)
   • iOS: Claude on the App Store
   • Android: Claude on Google Play

Workspace Trust required

The first time you enable Remote Control, you may need to confirm Workspace Trust for that project directory. Only enable it on projects you trust.

Usage Scenarios

Monitoring Long-Running Work

# Kick off a big task from the terminal
claude remote-control
> Add error handling to every API endpoint and write tests

You can then step away and still check progress and give further instructions from your phone.

Dual-Device Work

You can alternate input between the terminal and mobile. The conversation syncs in real time.

Using MCP Servers Remotely

Remote Control can access your local MCP servers. This is the key difference from web-based Claude Code (cloud VM):

	Remote Control	Claude Code on the Web
Where code runs	Your computer	Anthropic cloud VM
Local MCP servers	Available	Not available
Local files/settings	Accessible	Not accessible
Parallel work	1 per CLI instance	Multiple at once

Security Considerations

Safe by Design

• No inbound ports are opened, minimizing the network attack surface
• Uses short-lived, scope-limited auth tokens (separate tokens for session, relay, and auth)
• All traffic goes over TLS through the Anthropic API

What to Watch For

Session URL security

The session URL functions as a bearer token. Anyone who knows the URL can connect to the session, so:

• Don't share the URL in Slack or messaging apps
• Be careful not to expose the URL while screen sharing
• Watch out for someone photographing the QR code over your shoulder

Limitations

Limitation	Description
One concurrent connection	Only one remote connection per CLI instance
Terminal must stay open	Closing the local terminal ends the session
Network timeout	The session ends after ~10 minutes without network connectivity
Authentication	claude.ai login required (API key auth not supported)

Plan Availability

Plan	Status
Pro	Available
Max	Available
Team / Enterprise	Available (an admin must enable it in Admin Settings)

Handling network drops

Your session reconnects automatically if your laptop sleeps or the network drops briefly. After ~10 minutes without connectivity the session times out; running claude remote-control again starts a new session.